VJ Day
Pacific war's end
VJ Day—Victory over Japan Day—marks Japan's surrender ending World War II.
The date varies: August 14, 1945, when the announcement came, or August 15, when it reached Asia, or September 2, when Japan formally signed surrender documents.
The news triggered massive celebrations: the famous Times Square kiss photograph captures the moment.
My grandfather was in the Pacific when VJ Day came.
WWII Asian-oceanic front
- HiroshimaFirst nuclear-struck city
- NagasakiSecond city bombed atomically
- atomic bombFission-triggered mass destruction device
- Manhattan ProjectClandestine atomic weapons program
Pearl Harbor · Iwo Jima · Okinawa · Midway · Guadalcanal · kamikaze · internment camps · Rosie the Riveter
Complete yielding to demands
- unconditional surrenderYielding without any terms
- Japanese surrenderFormal end of Pacific war
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- defeatVictory over another
cessation · armistice · laying down arms · occupation · demilitarization · disarmament · Tokyo Bay
Agreement to cease hostilities
- postwar eraPeriod following armed conflict
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- rebuildingConstructing anew after destruction
- occupation of JapanPostwar Allied control, 1945-1952
demobilization · return home · new beginning · coexistence · diplomacy · treaty · normalization · peacetime
Act of holding something in mind
- memorialThing preserving remembrance
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- veteransFormer armed forces members
- anniversaryRecurring memorial date
tribute · observance · wreath-laying · moment of silence · war memorial · gratitude · legacy · heritage
Celebratory march through falling paper
- Times SquareFamous Manhattan intersection
- fireworksExplosive light displays
- dancingRhythmic bodily motion
- cheering crowdsGroups vocally showing enthusiasm
flags · rejoicing · elation · street parties · confetti · jubilation · church bells · merriment
Pacific Theater
WWII Asian-oceanic front
- HiroshimaFirst nuclear-struck city
- NagasakiSecond city bombed atomically
- atomic bombFission-triggered mass destruction device
Manhattan Project · Pearl Harbor · Iwo Jima · Okinawa · Midway · Guadalcanal · kamikaze · internment camps · Rosie the Riveter · war bonds
capitulation
Complete yielding to demands
- unconditional surrenderYielding without any terms
- Japanese surrenderFormal end of Pacific war
- white flagSignal of capitulation
defeat · cessation · armistice · laying down arms · occupation · demilitarization · disarmament · Tokyo Bay
armistice
Agreement to cease hostilities
- postwar eraPeriod following armed conflict
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- rebuildingConstructing anew after destruction
occupation of Japan · demobilization · return home · new beginning · coexistence · diplomacy · treaty · normalization · peacetime
remembrance
Act of holding something in mind
- memorialThing preserving remembrance
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- veteransFormer armed forces members
anniversary · tribute · observance · wreath-laying · moment of silence · war memorial · gratitude · legacy · heritage · reflection
ticker-tape parade
Celebratory march through falling paper
- Times SquareFamous Manhattan intersection
- fireworksExplosive light displays
- dancingRhythmic bodily motion
cheering crowds · flags · rejoicing · elation · street parties · confetti · jubilation · church bells · merriment · revelry
- holidaysChristmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, New Year
- 1940sWWII, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Hitler
- 20th Century HistoryWorld War I, WWI, Great Depression, Russian Revolution, Bolshevik Revolution
- WWIIPearl Harbor, Normandy, Hiroshima, Holocaust, atomic bomb
- WWII 1945Hiroshima, Nagasaki, German surrender, Japanese surrender, atomic bomb
- Victory Holidaysvictory parade, surrender ceremony, Allied victory